By Oba Sen Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has urged people to imitate Jesus Christ, who through His love for people died on the Cross well over two thousand years ago in order to atone for their sins.
This accusation was made by Oba Balogun in his Easter message, which was included in a press release issued by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, and distributed to journalists in Ibadan yesterday. In it, he thanked the Christian community for being given the opportunity to witness another Easter celebration.
The monarch insisted that the annual Easter festival celebration is nothing more than a commemoration of the loving example set by Jesus Christ and that only when His followers emulate Him in their love for one another will the celebration truly have meaning. He urged Christians to give serious thought to the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, which served as the foundation for the festival.
He asserted that this was a holy time in the lives of Christians because it was a time to remember the extraordinary love that their leader and master, Jesus Christ, had shown them by giving His life in exchange for the forgiveness of their sins. Prior to His crucifixion on the Cross, love for God and other people was at the center of everything He did on earth.
“I now implore everyone to demonstrate this love for one another. We require it for national development and growth. Let our leaders demonstrate their love for the people by making sure that every decision they make is carefully considered to be beneficial to or not harmful to the general welfare of the populace.
On the other hand, citizens have a responsibility to follow orders from the authorities, to be understanding, and to wish them luck in their positions.
Let’s relate to one another on a personal basis without exhibiting any type of prejudice, as Jesus did during His earthly mission and right up until His death on the Cross when He was still praying for His enemies. There would be less stress in our surroundings if we truly loved one another without any kind of barrier or sentiment. Oba Balogun continued, “This is what the Lord Jesus Christ expects from sincere believers.
The monarch thanked the Christians for witnessing this year’s Easter and prayed that they would have the grace to live according to the teachings of their Master, Jesus and that this year’s celebration wouldn’t be the last in the land of the living. Let’s celebrate responsibly so that neither we nor anybody else gets hurt. He said, “It is only the living who celebrate.
